Is McIntosh The Best Deal In Vintage Hi-Fi Right Now? 

Discord link?

A few years ago I had a problem with my Mac MR78 FM Tuner. I took it to a Mac dealer for repair and they sent it to Mac in New York. I was told that it would take some time, and that was acceptable to me, but not the amount of time that it took. I called Mac and they said they would look into the delay. They called back and said that they could not find my unit! But, I had all the paper work showing that they had, in fact, received it. It was now 6 months into the repair time! Alas they called and had found it, but they said that the face plate was cracked. They were sorry for the delay and would fix my unit. They did and when I received it I questioned that it was my unit as it looked and sounded better than I ever remembered it. I checked the serial number with my original receipt and it was my unit that I had purchased new. I called Mac to find out that they had ungraded my unit with all of the current levels, replaced the face place with new and a new analog meter, etc., etc. They then said that since it took so long there was no charge! Wow, how many other manufacturers would have done that?

I bought a C28, MR 77 and an MC2105 new 50 years ago. I am still using them for over 50 years with zero problems. I have been an audiophile my whole adult life. The differences between Mac’s and other 70’s brands like Marantz, pioneer etc was far greater back then than today. Why anyone would pay thousands of dollars for vintage Japanese equipment from the 70’s is incomprehensible. My 50 year old MC2105 is still audiophile quality.

I’m happy you covered McIntosh. My experience with ownership is it is not snooty at all. You call the office, they help you. Simple as that. The fact that they still support 40 and 50 year old gear is reason enough to seek them out. If you are going to sink money into vintage equip, it is nice to know you have the OEM behind your back.

I always loved the "look & sound" of MAC equipment. I remember seeing (and hearing) the Grateful Dead's MAC-STACKS on their Wall-of-Sound setup in '73. Blew me away ! Today I rebuild and restore most of my home equipment. Someday I'll get a MAC amp to re-furb.

I’m 70 yrs old and finally bought Mac in 2020. I have 5 pieces of vintage McIntosh. Including MC2155, MC2002, C26, MX115. They are beautiful pieces and I love their sound. I didn’t pay full retail and I’ve seen what you’ve said. They are a bargain compared to Pioneer or Marantz.

In the early 80s when I was in high school all I could afford was a crappy toshiba boombox. I would get Mcintosh brochures in the mail and dream. Last year I bought my first Mcintosh piece. Everytime I use it, it brings back some of those memories.

I became enamored with McIntosh when I was a little kid in the early '70s. I bought the entry level McIntosh amp, preamp, and tuner when I graduated from college. I knew from the time I was a late teenager that McIntosh probably isn't the best sounding equipment at it's prices, but it is always good and the build quality is unparalleled in regular production equipment. I still love all sorts of gear at all sorts of price levels, but never for a moment have I regretted buying and keeping my McIntosh pieces. They are pretty much always my favorite stereo equipment to use.

McIntosh sceptic when I was younger. As a musician doing sudio work in the 70's all the studios had McIntosh playback systems and that got my interest. I started seeing McIntosh 275 tube amps at yard sales for cheap and bought every piece of McIntosh gear that I saw. Getting them up and running I became a big fanboy. Quality build and great sound. I have McIntosh gear in every room of the house. The 4100 is a great McIntosh receiver and a great deal these days. There is and has been a lot of good support for McIntosh gear as you mentioned and that leads to brand loyalty. Recently got into the Japanese 70's gear as I was finding it cheap at thrift stores and yard sales. I just got a JVC R-X40 for $4 and Onkyo A7055 for $10 at a thrift store and after recapping pretty impressed with the sound. Fun hobby and don't be afraid to try new things.

I went down the McIntosh rabbit hole and have no regrets. I know it’s expensive but I also believe you get what you pay for.

I grew up with my dad's MC 2505 and MX 114 in the 1970's. He eventually gave them to me a few years ago and I just spent a good amount of $$$ to get them up to snuff. They work perfectly now and I use them almost every day listening to all my records that I (thankfully) never got rid of!

Dude, my 80+ year old uncle in CA sent me this link telling me that you’re in DesMoines. I’m in Cedar Rapids. You have my attention, the love of clean warm sound is like a nap after a satisfying meal. Thank you for being around!

I'm an unabashed McIntosh lover. I went to college in Binghamton in the 60s. I actually knew a guy who found a Mc amp in a barn and had it restored locally and the sound from a dream. The first home setup I heard was a Thorens table with an Ortophan cartridge and Mc separates driving KLH 12s their flagship speaker then. I died, went to heaven and haven't been back since. Now I'm in the market for an MA6200 to drive the KLH 5s. All I want is that listening experience again. I don't have big bucks for new Mc’s or top-end speakers. Doesn't matter. All I was is to hear Der Rosenkavilier on my retirement system and sit back and enjoy.

My first experience was when I got my first batterey powered transistor radio when I was working on a paper route. I spent hours with that radio up against my ear and riding my bicycle around town listening to the Beach Boys, Rolling Stones, and the Beatles. I never looked back. Still have my first Sansui 2000x that I brought home from Vietnam in 71. It will never be sold but will be handed down to my kids or grandkids who are willing to take care of it and take it to Skylabs for an occasional tune up!

JVC made some of the GOAT CD players in the 80s and 90s

3 years ago I was searching for an Pioneer vintage receiver like my older brother had. I stumbled on a McIntosh Mac 4100 along with a pair of McIntosh XR-16 speakers for $1000. My younger brother has vintage Mac equipment, so I bought the 4100 and have aboslutely no regrets. Sounds great and is built like a tank

Kevin, I have to agree with you about McIntosh! I believe that one of the reasons vintage Pioneer, Sansui, and Marantz receivers command such high prices is their rarity and that those company are either no longer in business (Sansui) or not the same companies any more! With Pioneer being combined with Onkyo and not being manufactured by the original Pioneer company....and Marantz being combined with Denon and owned by a big corporation that actually makes medical equipment! While McIntosh still has the look, the sound, the build quality, and is built in the same factories in New York as its vintage predecessors! You can still get many direct replacement parts for your vintage Mac components from McIntosh. You can't say that about almost any other audio brand, including Marantz. Pioneer, and Sansui. Most people who knock McIntosh on the internet probably have never listened or never owned a piece of MAC gear!.... so their opinions are worthless! Now as for JVC I totally disagree with you Kevin.... JVC made more that just VHS video players. Fortunately I grew up in the 1970s and I can tell you from experience having listened to and owned JVC amps, receivers, turntables, and cassette decks they are every bit both in sound and build quality the equal of all the popular vintage brands! Get yourself a JA-71 integrated amps and marvel at its build quality. Remember JVC was at one time one of the big three Japanese electronic giants just behind Sony and Matsushita!

While I was going to university I worked as a salesman for a McIntosh JBL dealer. I was also a musician who wanted a good hi fi stereo. I then worked as a tech sales audio consultant for a big store that sold many brands including audio research corporation, Harman Kardon, Marantz, Linn and too many to list. I live for music and equipment. It was great to be able to buy and try gear at staff price discounts. Some of the new McIntosh pieces run up as high as $ 50,000 so a really high end stereo could cost well over $ 100,000 which I couldn't dream of buying. I kept my hi fi equipment for the eighties and it still works.

I live in Binghamton and recently toured the McIntosh factory. Impressive to say the least. The attention to detail and the number of individuals who are dedicated to building this equipment was impressive to see first hand. I recently purchased a McIntosh MCD7800 multi disk CD changer and could not be happier. We have a local dealer, Audio Classics, that sells and services both new and vintage McIntosh equipment. I could spend hours in their showroom looking at all of the vintage McIntosh they have for sale. My next purchase will be a McIntosh integrated amplifier. Just have to decide on which one. I agree that there is something about the green backlit display and those blue VU meters has quite the appeal, at least to me.

I started my system with JVC equipment. Was great for the price

I with you on every word about these two stereo units. I purchased my two MC's in the 70s and they still work. I was pursuing stereo channels and you got me as a subscriber. Looking forward to more of your stereo gear information.

Talking about repairability, many years age a friend purchased a Pioneer cassette deck with the blue display meter. At 6 months, one of the channels went out. Still under warranty, Pioneer told him it was non-repairable, and he received a new deck.

My C32 is awesome! 45 year or so old--been upgraded etc... but what a piece!!

I enjoy your program and the reflection on vintage hi-fi. Just out of college in 1973 I went to work for the biggest hi-fi retailers in the Bay Area, Cal Hi Fi and Pacific Stereo. It was the coolest job on the planet. Listening to great music on the best gear available. The hi-fi sales person was like a god/guru to the buying public. I later worked nearly 20 years for Pioneer Electronics from 1980 to 1996. What a great life! I couldn't tell you how many Marantz 2270's, Pioneer SX727's, Sherwood 2100's and Garrard turntables I sold. I can tell you I still have and enjoy a killer sound system for audio and video. I'll stay tuned.

Liked the video front card. Love my C24 paired with my MC2105. Listen to them regularly and sound great.

Being in Nashville Tennessee I've had the opportunity to work on just about every kind of audio equipment from all over the world from America, Japan, Russia, Scandinavia, Germany and all places in between. McIntosh is mechanically and sonically way better than the early 70's through the early 80's Japanese mainstream equipment. The golden age of Japanese hifi is well made enough but the failure rate was/is much grater than the higher end stuff from most others and that's not really a dig because thay were not competing with higher end equipment. I know you don't like JVC or Kenwood, and I agree JVC had problems with slider style pots because they used them a lot and they're exposed carbon tracks that got dirty faster and for some reason they had a problem with their power transformers failing. Both Marantz and Pioneer amplifiers had problems with output transistors failure with some early Pioneer small signal transistor failure as well. The failure rate of Kenwood and Sony were the least of the bunch. Realistic used the worst electrolytic caps in everything and you need to replace 100% of the caps in them nowadays. Which is a shame because some of their early amps used an inerstage transformer in between the voltage gain and output transistors which gave them a genuinely good sonic character. The build quality and component quality that McIntosh usses is leagons better as you stated and thats why they're more costly and reliable. Subsequently when recapping them you should be careful that you use at least the same grade of parts. It's true that the mc250, mc2100, on up to the mc2300 do have a warmer sound with the later transistor amps sounding more analytical. Of course their tube amps are legendary for reliability and sound. The build quality of the early tube amps are simply off the charts. We had a massive flood in 2010 and i received two mc240's and one mc75 that were on the way to the landfill after being under water for months and left outside for approximately two years after that, under a shed roof but uncleaned untill a friend asked if I could fix them. I thought of them as part junkers but we hosed and scrubbed them off and then baked them at 135 degrees for 36 hours upside down to get all the moisture out of the transformers. Replacing nothing the mc75 came to life at about half voltage and sounded fine but as I increased the voltage the power supply caps started to leak. Both mc240's had the cathode windings open on the left output transformers. I had Doc rewind the two output transformers one on each amp and rebuilt the voltage doubler power supply caps and went ahead and put new polyester caps in the signal path and even though the tubes didn't read bad I put all new tubes in them and in the mc240's I used JAN 6L6's wich are 25 watt plate dissipation instead of the standard 19 watt regular 6L6's and the amps both made close to 60 watts with both channels driven and they sound fantastic. Obviously they aren't the best looking units but thay were road dogs there entire life and really cleaned up well considering the fact they had flood mud on them for far longer than thay should. I have a MAC 4100 and yes it's got the vinyl case but it's sonically in another league than any Pioneer, Sansui, Technics, Marantz, Kenwood, Carver, Harman Kardon, Sony or any mid-fi receiver that I've ever tested. I do still have and use a lot of various brands and love them for what they are and you're right about the twin powered Harman Kardon receivers. Thay are akin to the Citation 12 amplifier and when modified do step into another sonic level. As for the prices you are right. I think the prices are far in excess of the value of the Japanese equipment. But if you get a completely rebuilt unit the price is a little more justified as its a chore and time consuming venture as you know. Maybe my statements make me a "snob" but I've been doing this for over 50 years and I'm just relating my experiences, good, bad or otherwise. Piece out.

Thanks for the great video. I agree with you that McIntosh is the ultimate sleeper. Keep the videos coming.

I have a few pieces of vintage gear, including a few different amps and receivers from various Japanese brands. I'm always surprised when I A/B them with my c26/2505 combo. I always start off thinking, this Pioneer/Sansui/etc does sound really good, but then I switch back. Yup, there's a reason I stick with the McIntosh gear for my main system.

I love McIntosh and will have some in my next hi-fi system. But as Groucho Marx said, “I’d never want to be in a club that would have me as a member.”

Mac makes some amazing gear for sure ! Thanks for the video

Just wanna say the 1980 JVC R-S77 receiver is a sleeper. And it's got faders.

The price point was always beyond me but, the 3 times I walked in to a demo and found love at first listen was Macintosh pared with B&W speakers.

Great piece! Sound quality alone is not the full extent of enjoying stereo equipment and, to me, nothing looks like a McIntosh, new or vintage and you're right, prices have not gone the crazy way like Marantz, Sansui and Pioneer. A brand I always wanted and now I'm 2 more college tuition away, my youngest son, to treat myself.

It's interesting how opinions on gear can be so different. I have never been a fan of Pioneer and especially Sansui, yet I loved all the JVC gear I had during the '70s and '80. The gear I have now is Yamaha, JVC, Paradigm, and JBL. We do both agree however, that McIntosh is quality equipment.

Great info, thanks.

Just inherited first piece of McIntosh gear - MCD7007 CD player. Build quality is unbelievable. Took cover off to get out stuck CD, then fiddled around until I got the drawer working. Sounds incredible with my vintage Pioneer SX-727 and American Monitor AM-14 speakers. Now, how far down the McIntosh rabbit hole do I go???

A friend had a C-28/MC-2505 combo and asked me to look it over. My experience was with military comm/nav equipment, but I agreed. I found them to be a pleasure to work with. Schematics were easy to obtain (and read); circuits were laid out well and components easy to locate. I found a leaky power cap, but otherwise these 50 year-old components worked as advertized. The cap was a form factor that I had difficulty locatiing, so I called McIntosh. They had some in stock. Not cheap, but they had 'em. Gotta respect that. I can't speak for the modern models, but I love the rugged dependability of the old stuff.

Excellent video. Your point that vintage McIntosh equipment won’t lose value is very well taken. I wonder if overhyped Marantz and Pioneer receivers will actually retain their lofty valuations. After an overhaul a few years ago my 60 year old MX-110 and 2 x MC-30 combo is blasting great sound through my 50 year old Klipsch Cornwalls. It‘s quite shocking to consider how far up you have to go pricewise with today‘s equipment to achieve similar sound quality.

My late uncle gave me his 4 piece McIntosh equipment, he bought it in 1980, Mc 2105 amp, c26 pre amp, MI 3 indicator, MR 75 tuner, all manuals included

The key to the McIntosh sound is their use of autoformers on their upper line solid state power amplifiers. Honestly, the lower priced Mac gear without autoformers sounds pretty much like any other midrange solid state class AB amp. Take it from a long time dealer.

It blows my mind, to see vintage McIntosh gear priced lower than Marantz, Sansui, Pioneer, etc. Back in the day, the new McIntosh gear was always top dollar in the store, much more expensive than the other "mid fi" gear. Always.

This is very timely as I'm about to embark on servicing an MC2100 and C26 for the first time since they were new. The build quality is top notch!

I visited the McIntosh factory in Binghamton in recent years and was blown away by the love and devotion they put into their product. Unlike anything else in this country. Like an air cooled 911

I really like the sound of my McIntosh MC225 tube amplifier. High maintenance like all tube amps but a beautiful sound.

I never hear about Soundscraftsmen but remember seeing them in the Hifi shops when i was a kid

I inherited my parent’s C28, MC2125, and FM receiver, mated to a pair of Klipsch La Scala speakers. I love them! Not only did I grow up with them, I get to enjoy them as an adult! Unfortunately, the MC2125 has an issue, so I don’t listen to the set as much as I would like, as I’m worried about the life it has left. Truth be told, everything needs a good servicing and cleaning, but the on the amp, the right channel gets so hot, you can’t hardly touch it. The left channel stays ice cold. I talked to a Mac service center and he said he wasn’t sure if it could be fixed, as the parts for them are becoming more and more difficult to get, and some parts are not available at all. He said sometimes he can make needed adjustments and it will fix the heat problem, but if it needs certain parts, I would probably be better looking at buying a working unit somewhere, or to find a parts donor unit. Should I be contacting McIntosh directly, or just finding a different service center altogether? Unfortunately, I’m in northern Michigan, so finding a reputable service center nearby is tough. The closest place I could find is a 4 hour drive away. Any thoughts or suggestions are greatly appreciated!

The Macintosh separates were great. However I had a Macintosh 6100 integrated piece that looked wonderful but was terrible. Unsealed switches constantly dropped out. Power transistors were cheap and the unit didn't drive my speakers like my older amp. Returned the product in a few days after listening to it for a good number of hours. The older separates were well built and sounded very good to me back in the day. Both the tubed pieces and transistor Power amps were wonderful. They used to run clinics where they would test your gear for free. There power amps always tested great. Many other branded units did not meet their claimed specs.

The good and bad with Mcintosh is that when I walk into the living room with the lights out and see green glow I know I'm 100% content with my HiFi system. I don't need anything else... but, there is something to be said about the joy that imagining what could be, could be.

Love my vintage MA 6100!

nice video. The MAC tube gear has continued to climb up in retail prices. Same with Marantz tube gear, the Model 7, 8B and 9. The MAC SS gear does seem like a bargain compared to the commanding prices Marantz, Pioneer and Sansui units are now getting.

I worked for a Pioneer Factory Authorized service canter back in the 70's....... When my boss passed away , his wife rented a few dumpsters and filled them with new old stock parts and receivers because Pioneer did not want any of it back. NOT EVEN FOR FREE ! ( I hate those memories ) R.I.P. Mr. Hunter.

I have had my Mac equipment for over 50 years with ZERO problems but the biggest thing I love is you can take average speakers and plug them in and you still get a quality sound. I have owned everything - McIntosh is still my best choice .

I bought a used Mac pre amp on Reverb in 2018, a c50. It sounds delicious, runs my digital AND analog systems seamlessly and beautifully without problems. Paired with my Krell KSA-100 I'm a happy camper!

Definitely gonna be a fun one

Once I retired I purchased an older Mc SS integrated then traded it for more than orig. purchase price for a current Mc SS integrated. Love it. Happy listening 🎶

Pioneer, Marantz, Sansui... is all about guys about my age getting "the hits they missed" from back in our pasta days

I like both Japanese 70s and 80s and some 90s gear. I see the beauty of Mc Intosh vintage. The customer service situation you speak of is very true. Best of all I very firmly agree with your views about any piece of music sounding great on a Mac...there is something about the way the gear filter s music. Besides I love the amps and preamps with rotary eq controls like the MA12000. The new Mac gear while ok just doesn't have it...that X factor like the older gear like the huge two tone Greatful Dead power amps... VU meters =Dollars agree. My old Accuphase gear rocks those too.

Recently had a 2105, C28 bequeathed to me. After cleaning and servicing, life is great. Beautiful equipment and when you add in the beauty of the lights and general vibe the equipment leads with, make life a great thing, when sitting back and being enveloped by music.

I just bought a Mac 1900 receiver. Don't have it yet but cannot wait to try it out. Most of my amps are vintage NAD.

Sold extreme high-end audio in the 1970’s. It was actually Dan D’Agostino who hired me. For those that don’t know, Dan D’Agostino created Krell hi-fi electronics years ago. What was an open secret back then, was that McIntosh products were probably the best built products on the market. But they were far from the best, sonically.

Good take on this iconic American brand. The level of support they still provide is unreal. Based on my musical tastes Mc was down the list for amplification. Still I wonder about those tubes and everyone else’s.

I had McIntosh gear for about 8 years, MA6200, MA6600, bought used and after a few years with each sold them for about $500 more then I paid. I thought it was a bargain back then, never would have dreamed the Japanese gear would pull ahead in value. 😎

Always thought MacIntosh just made 'ugly' equipment. Also, the JVC A-X9, A-X77, DD-99, JVC QL-Y55F, and ZERO series of speakers are among the best gear I've ever owned.

I Love that 4100, even with cheap wrap, it's whats on the inside. McIntosh.............would only Buy new, not much more money than used. The lights are very expensive.

Great info.

I have a MAC 4200. Whenever I listen to it I put Grey Poupon on my hot dog.

You just want to look at it, is very correct for a lot of the vintage stereo stuff. Now if only some of it could sound as good as some of the better stuff today. I guess nostalgia has a lot to do with it.

Got the Mc1900 , I love it sound is so Smooth

Another great video, Kevin. I remember a few years ago stopping at a McIntosh store in Indianapolis several years ago and being 1) unimpressed with the sound quality in regards to other brands of vintage equipment and 2) the snobbery and name-dropping was nauseating.

I really like my 275 with my Marantz 3200

another great vid

MacIntosh is second to none. If you ever watched The Departed, there's a McIntosh component system in that movie that I would absolutely love to have, but I will never be able to afford it. LOL

No negative comments on my side. I agree with you about McIntosh. My Marantz 2270, which needs a lamp replacement, has prices that are in the stratosphere. What I'm trying to hunt down is an old Sony L-Cassette, the 3 and 3/4 per inch player/recorder they made. I regret not buying one new, even though they are orphans. Sony, no baloney, would develop these new standards and then fail miserably. I am an old 70s into early 80s junkie. Another product I'd like to have is the old Audio Technica headphones that use the pre-amp. These sounded great. I'm glad ESS is back making their old heil headphones. I found nirvana on this channel. TY Kevin. I like everything about you, including the first name. 😁😁

Grado headphones are simply excellent!

I think you are being a bit hard on JVC. I recently picked up a couple of 70s JVC receivers for next to nothing and, in particular, the Jr S200i looks, and sounds, great. I also have several Sansui pieces and I don't see a massive difference in sound quality. Build quality, perhaps.

good job thank u

I was just thinking about this today when I saw a Sansui amp on craigslist priced at $4k! My brother paid less for his Mac amp and there is absolutely no comparison in sound quality. The Mac just sounds so much better than anything sanui or pioneer! Oh and about JVC... They are actually really great products. No where near a Mac but they sound great and are very reliable for what they are. I just recently replaced a Yamaha CR420 with a JVC jrs-81H and it sounds and looks sooooo much better.

I bought a Marantz 2385 new in 1981. Like $900 discounted at Uncle Steve's in Newark. Nice receiver but by the mid 90s it was getting long in tooth. The controls were scratchy and intermittent, the lamp bezel was yellowing and getting brittle... I decided ot sell it, $400. Turned around and bought a MAC 4100 for about a grand, same 1981 build date, but everything still worked great. Much better build quality than the Marantz. I don't get why those big Japanese receivers are so expensive. Get the MAC!

Much respect for McIntosh and love that they support their older gear. And that they are a US Hi-Fi company that has survived. But, to me, Sansui is far more interesting in terms of products and development over their years. From the early and classically elegant black faces and wood cases to the later polished and brushed silver Alpha's with a look and feel that scream nth degree perfection. A sonic arc defined by a rich and intentional evolution that delivered a fascinating and engaging variety flavors of fidelity across the company history. McIntosh is great. But I am not surprised to see Sansui as or more desirable to vintage Hi-Fi collectors. Long Live Sansui.

Hi, Keven, since I just started to follow this channel in the last few weeks, I've started rebuilding my dad's Realistic Mach one 4024a speakers circa 1977. thanks for the inspiration, and any thoughts on the Mach ones of this era ??

Love my vintage McIntosh MA6200 AMP. Came across a MA6100 Amp with a cracked faceplate, didn't realize they still make faceplates.

There are real McIntosh bargins to be had. One is the MX 130 home theater preamp. This was an early preamp for home theater. TOTALLY not suited for that today. But WAIT! It has a 2 channel mode that turns it into a monster stereo preamp. They are about $1500 +/-. Mine sounds fantastic. I paid less than 1000 for mine a few years ago, but these have gone up in value. It has the classic MC look and also has an excellent tuner.

Just joined the discord server. Thanks Kevin and Alex.

The more "vintage" McIntosh gear I test, the more impressed I become- and it always sounds fine. Something about those big blue meters as you noted. Best description I have heard is they are the Harley Davidson of Audio gear....

I don’t own any McIntosh gear. Albeit, I WOULD like to experience it someday. I own Hafler DH-200 and DH-500 power amps which sound phenomenal. .

I can’t see myself unsubscribing anytime soon

Another great vid Kevin, well done! But what was that gizmo in the back right corner ( if you spun around in your chair) that was analyzing and visually playing back your voice, it was hilariously distracting. I want one! 😊 If anybody else noticed I'm sure they'd like to know ;) Stay safe!! Preston

The words "bargain" and "McIntosh" don't really work together, do they? ;). I never see McIntosh gear at a price that I can afford. It will forever remain the Holy Grail for me.

I just turned 72 and I worked as a full time musician and also in the home audio equipment industry and I am still gung ho loving music and equipment with a great stereo who has become less of an equipment snob Bryston is great but the looks of McIntosh gets me too .

Fun fact. At one point in the 70ties McIntosh used Philips made soft dome tweeters for their speakers.

I have the 4100 and I love it. The sound quality is fabulous. I do think the cabinet should have been made of wood but perhaps McIntosh figured they had to try and lower the build cost because the internals cost was so high. It still ended up costing almost $2,000 when new and a lot of people still bought it even with a non wood cabinet. Come to think of it the Marantz 2325 (which I had one) came with a metal cabinet and the wooden cabinet was an upgrade. The Sansui G7500 (which I have one) has a vinyl cabinet. The Fisher 500C did not come with a cabinet and it was an upgrade. Point being perhaps a wooden cabinet wasn't and still isn't considered very important.

Enjoyed this installment, as always. Yep, McIntosh is something that I truly want to own, one of these days. As you said, the allure of the Big Blue Meters, draws me like a moth to a lightbulb. The McIntosh "Look" is still wildly evident by the Infotainment Display on the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer, which boasts an audio system designed and built by McIntosh. Big Blue Meters ! STARTING at only $95K for the "Top of the Line" Grand Wagoneer. Take Care....Rip

Some day. Some day.

Legacy counts. Both ESS and SAE went down during C-19 for lack of parts and are both up again - with limited stock - but back

I own a piece of Mcintosh, it's considered a stepchild because of the Japanese manufactured PCB, mac4275 and also the mac4280. It sounds better then my Pioneer SX-1050 and a bit better than my Sansui 7070.

You know if you find a stereo you love, their is no need to look for something else. My Dad bought the Pioneer receiver and Dual turntable in 1971. I have them in operation today. In !987 I bought a high end Realistic receiver and Dual turntable in 1980 (used). I have always loved them. Neither was ever put away. I bought other stuff later. Another Realistic receiver and 9 more Duals. I did recently purchased in an Estate Sale, a McIntash tape deck. I paid $20.00 for it. It did not work. Hope to fix it soon.

just bought a c26 pre and 2505 power. couldnt be happier. probably the pair retails the same as a marantz 22xx. up to the consumer to decide

Bought an MA6900 integrated when they were new - probably in 2003. I think I paid around $4K for it. Still runs great. Only issue ever is the incandescent light bulbs have to be changed out once in a while - which I've learned to do myself. I see used units listed on eBay for around $4K even today - although $4K today is not the same as $4K in 2003. Nice to know it's holding some of its value. I think the bargain value in used hi-fi gear today are amps, receivers, and integrateds from about 1988 to 1995. These units seem to get no love, but many of the higher end pieces are quite nice - with reasonable internet prices.

The Mac 2105 amp is early '70's and when I owned mine I concluded that it had flabby bass - not punchy and tight. This was before and after restoration (which is minimal).

Oh forgot to add is the sound of McIntosh is what I would call "Musical" .... very neutral and with the right speakers an enjoyable and non- fatiguing for an all day and all night listening experience. My collection includes a MC-2105 amp, MA-6100 Integrated amp, abd C-45 preamp!